Basement Medicine

Hannah Miller is an assistant professor of Education at NVU-Johnson.
What’s your biggest passion?
School. I talk about school all the time. I have been in a school every year of my life since age three. So I have been a student, then a teacher, then student, then a professor. Now I’m a professo...

Jonathan Davis is the Dean of Students for NVU.
What obsesses you?
My biggest passion in my life is my kids.
How many kids do you have?
I have two kids. A nine year old and a seven year old. I mean, obviously that wasn’t always my passion. Sports, kids, and work. That’s all that I have time...

I’ve been in the Southwest for a few months now, and while I’ve had to adapt to many changes in my daily life here, the biggest change has been my relationship with coffee. We’re quite serious.
I love coffee.
I am accustomed to the constant availability of coffee in almost every...

Emily Neilsen is the Coordinator of First-Year Events at NVU-Johnson. Neilsen grew up in Burlington and came to work for NVU-Johnson in 2012.
How did you wind up here at Johnson? So, I was living in Burlington, and then my husband became the caretaker of a piece of property that’s like 200 acres....

I got a black eye in Las Vegas.
A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to go to Las Vegas. It was for a two-day sevens rugby tournament.
I had been practicing with our rag-tag team, the New Mexico State Lady Chiles, for a month. We were, in a word; ill-prepared. Because we didn’t have the numbers...

Ducky Joslin is a sophomore at NVU-Johnson majoring in Outdoor Education.
What is the story behind the name “Ducky?”
When I was really little my sister gave me the nickname because Iwas always following her around like a duckling with a baby diaper waddle, and I’d constantly be making duck f...

It’s flat here.
I noticed it as I flew over El Paso, Texas, how sprawling the landscape is, only to be interrupted by the occasional clump of jagged mountains. From the airplane window, I could see squares of land neatly sectioned off into various shades of brown and green between long roads and...

It’s a busy semester at the WJSC 90.7 station in Stearns this semester. With nine planned shows in Spring 2019 spanning over 15 hours plus drop-in DJ time, WJSC has quite a lot to listen to.
Student manager Seth Knight had positive things to say about this semester’s progress as a radio station. "...

It is 6 p.m. on Friday and for some on campus, that means one thing—game time. The players shuffle in one by one, carrying bags of dice and snacks to bribe the dungeon master, the game’s organizer. They settle in, heckle the latecomers, and begin checking what equipment their characters still have...

Associate Professor Sharon Twigg is chair of the Writing and Literature Department and specializes in British Iiterature. She does double duty as associate academic dean at Johnson.
You have dual positions here, one as associate academic dean at Johnson and one as associate professor and chair of the ...

“The moment that I decided that he was the one and I wanted to get married was literally the first time I saw him,” said Johnson State student Deanna Trahan. “I know that it sounds insane, but it’s true. I met Tyler in the Hannaford’s parking lot, and for some crazy reason I looked at my best...

On Jan. 4, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo rescinding Obama-era guidance on state-level marijuana legalization, effectively rekindling a dated war on America’s most commonly used illicit substance.
Coincidentally, Jan. 4 was also the day that the Vermont House gave final clearance...

I don’t often question the places I stand. Usually, I am placed there, and it is the confidence of others that typically gives me the peace of mind that I am useful in that spot and will do well there.
That Saturday afternoon, April 14, as I stood poised on the rugby pitch, I seriously questioned...

“Hana! Dul! Set! Net!”
Stanley Parsons, otherwise addressed as Sir, has been involved in Taekwondo since 1984. Now in his 70s, with a thick mane of white hair and full beard, he watches his students critically from behind glasses and between bushy brows. He perches on a walker, a cane resting ...

Cody Logan is a JSC senior majoring in musical theater. He has appeared in many JSC productions, including “Grease,” “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “Cabaret.”
Why do you snap instead of clap for people?
Usually people clap. I like to be different than everyone else, not becaus...

I walked into my friend’s apartment with the goal of preparing crepes on a Sunday morning, green cast iron crepe pan in my backpack and a jug of milk in my hand. I was greeted with the smell of fresh cat litter in the three trays, two of which are a new and temporary addition to the household. The...

Tucked away in the rolling hills and forested mountains of Tennessee’s Monroe County, Tellico Plains, borders North Carolina and resembles some of Vermont’s most scenic qualities, only with warmer temperatures, more republicans and evangelical Protestants per Pew Research Center.
Tellico Plains,...

John Miller is a professor of fine arts at Johnson State College, focusing mainly on photography, both traditional film and digital. In 1992, he published a book of photographs called “Deer Camp: Last Night in the Northeast Kingdom,” which documents the rituals and culture of hunting camps in northern...

Sandra Noyes has been working at JSC for 24 years. Along with serving as campus chair for the represented staff union, Noyes is staff assistant for the Humanities and Writing and Literature departments.
What is your favorite part of this job?
I think I’m supposed to say the students. That would be th...

Brittney Malik is a JSC junior focusing her studies on theater. She grew up in Randolph, Vermont, and has made waves on campus with her activism and dedication. Her efforts helped bring together multiple campus events and performances, and raise the Black Lives Matter flag outside Stearns.
What do you ...

The media in Cuba, one of three remaining Communist countries in the word, is generally portrayed as a monolithic mouthpiece for the Cuban government, which maintains tight control over media coverage of everything from sports to politics.
According to University of Havana professors Rafael Betancourt...

The next time someone tells you to take a hike, you might want to consider JSC’s Outing Club, which offers a variety of outdoor adventures including caving, bouldering, rock climbing, rafting and, yes, hiking.
“The goal of Outing Club is to get students outdoors,” said Becca Farrow, the club’s...

Leslie Kanat, professor of geology in the Department of Environmental and Health sciences, has taught at JSC since 1989 after receiving a Ph.D. in earth sciences at Cambridge University.
How did you end up in Cambridge?
I ended up in Cambridge because of the work I was doing as a maste...

Brad Moskowitz is a professor of outdoor education at JSC who finds peace and empowerment in the world’s natural beauty and environmental. And even though he admits he’s a westerner at heart, he says Vermont’s natural and social communities have won him over. Basement Medicine recently sat down...

Barb Flathers is the assistant to the dean of students and the friendly face in the residence life office. She’s married to her best friend, Bruce, and has two grown children, three step children and two step grandchildren. She enjoys arts and crafts and spending time outdoors. She’s an integral...

As one walks along the sidewalks of Johnson State College, it is not uncommon to see a cat or two sunning themselves in the dorm room windows. This is because JSC allows students with diagnosed mental illnesses to have emotional support animals, or ESAs, on campus. There are currently 27 animals on campus,...

Some consider it a scientific pursuit, some say it’s a competitive sport, and others call it a hobby. However people view it, birding is an environmentally friendly way to collect, share and celebrate some of nature’s most unique creatures. In recent years, birders have witnessed many changes in...

As the lives and perspectives of the transgender community have become more public, so too has the history of misrepresentation of trans lives in the media, misdiagnoses of gender identity as mental illness, and the ongoing need for trans-affirmative resources for youth and adults.
The trans...

Kate Abdel-Fatah followed both of her brothers to Johnson State College, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t made a name for herself on campus. With a lot of personal growth, new passions and important life experiences, Abdel-Fatah has become a leader in the Student Government Association and a strong...

During the winter, usually the biggest pests that people need to worry about are squirrels. However, as soon as the snow melts and the temperatures get warmer, the pests become much bigger and heavier. Black bears are a common problem when winter comes to an end. They get into everything from bird feeders...